Rating: 
Summary: An approachable guide to delicious food
Review: Brennan's of Houston in Your Kitchen is as approachable as Chef Carl Walker himself. This cookbook guides the reader through the best Creole recipes from the restaurant in a straightforward, informative manner. Recipes are not overly simplified for the home cook, but instead are presented in an enticing and easy to follow step by step process, with lovely pictures of the final products. Each dish we have prepared tastes exactly like the food available at the restaurant. We recently visited Brennan's of Houston and were again pleased with how well the recipes translated for the home cook. What a delightful addition to any "chef's" library.
Rating:
Summary: An approachable guide to delicious food
Review: Brennan's of Houston in Your Kitchen is as approachable as Chef Carl Walker himself. This cookbook guides the reader through the best Creole recipes from the restaurant in a straightforward, informative manner. Recipes are not overly simplified for the home cook, but instead are presented in an enticing and easy to follow step by step process, with lovely pictures of the final products. Each dish we have prepared tastes exactly like the food available at the restaurant. We recently visited Brennan's of Houston and were again pleased with how well the recipes translated for the home cook. What a delightful addition to any "chef's" library.
Rating:
Summary: Carl's in your kitchen too
Review: Having had the pleasure of eating at Brennans of Houston many times over the past 10 years I have to say the
atmosphere at the restaurant is wonderful, however the food is what makes the experience outstanding. Carl Walker
and his knowledgeable staff have combined their talents to bring an easy to use guide into to your kitchen. It's rare
to find a cook book from an award winning chef that doesn't intimidate the casual, cooking enthusiast - this isn't a
cook book for the bookcase, it's for the kitchen. I recommend the book and the Cajun Enchiladas with Roasted
Tomatillos Salsa, on page 26.
Rating:
Summary: THE BEST COOKBOOK EVER!
Review: I received Brennan's of Houston In Your Kitchen as a gift from a friend, and I love it! The recipes are easy to follow, with great tips from the chef. I especially like the fact that he makes suggestions for side dishes to go with main entrees. Having eaten at Brennan's many times, I'm excited to be able to "cook like Chef Carl" in my own kitchen, and my dishes really do taste just like "the real thing." I sit down to choose a new recipe, and an hour later, I'm still enjoying the side stories, quotes, history, etc. I didn't know a cookbook could be so fun!
Rating:
Summary: I was there
Review: I was a tester for Chef Carl Walker. His objective was to make sure anyone could pick up his cookbook and could cook from it. He brought an old stove into Brennan's Kitchen and three of us started to test recipe's. His idea was a success. Everyone that I have been in touch with that has the cookbook cannot get over how easy the recipe's are to follow. It was more than a pleasure working with him. He is one of the most creative people I have ever known.
Rating:
Summary: New Orleans Restaurant Cooking
Review: This beautiful 192-page book is a triumph for Chef Carl Walker. This eclectic and inventive collection of recipes has been carefully accented with full-color photographs and personal anecdotes. It is a wonderful gift for fans of Brennan's, and even for home cooks who have never made their way to Houston.The book is organized by course: Beginnings (Lagniappes, Drinks, and Appetizers), Garden and Beyond (Salads and Soups), Breakfast, Meats and Poulty, Seafood, Accompaniments (Sides, Sauces and Seasonings), and Fantastic Desserts. Each recipe features an expected yield, list of ingredients, paragraph-style instructions on how to prepare the ingredients, and a Chef's Tip. The Chef's Tips include technique suggestions, ingredient substitutions, and reminders on how to prepare the raw ingredients. The desserts section is especially decadent. For example, the Chocolate Praline Cheesecake is a masterpiece by Pastry Chef Melissa Piper Reilly. This luscious dessert uses a chocolate crumb crust filled with caramels, pecans, and chocolate-laced cheesecake filling. This beautiful cookbook will be a delight for chefs and bakers alike. Enjoy!
Rating:
Summary: Both Sophisticated and Down-Home
Review: This book is more than it has to be to be successful.A collection of sumptuous recipes, history of a culinary dynasty, introduction to a remarkable chef, presentation of tantalizing photographs.But more than that, the book's a sensory experience. An "environment" that reveals something new to me each time I dip into it. A rare combination of haute cuisine and folksiness. Comfortable, with illustrations, quotes, faces, music. EVEN I am preparing a dish with Chef Walker all but standing over my shoulder coaxing me. Whether on the coffee table or on a kitchen cabinet splattered with wine and fishy fingerprints, this book is an absolute classic. I love it for me - and giving it as the gift that it is.
Rating:
Summary: The home cook can become a chef
Review: This is by far the best cookbook I have ever used. The recipes are well written, easy to understand, and they actually work in my kitchen. The chef's tips are great for varying a recipe to work with the ingredients I have on hand. I have used it to cook for a dinner party (my friends were amazed), and I have used it to cook for my family during the week. It has made this home cook truly feel like a chef! The pictures and added history make it a great read, too! You have to have this cookbook!
Rating:
Summary: Major Yum!
Review: This is one of the greatest cookbooks ever produced. Chef Walker's preparation techniques as well as the "Chef's Tip's" throughout the book allow you to make these dishes exactly as they do in the restaurant. Even the recipies that are common in alot of other cookbooks take on a uniqueness in this book that makes it a "must have" book for anyone interest in creating good food. I was fortunate to be able to take a cooking class with Chef Walker called "Breakfast at Brennan's". One of the dishes he prepared was "Eggs Hussard", from page 72 in this book. Wow!The best egg dish I have ever tasted. It even makes the popular Eggs Benedict seem bland with comparison. Using the recipe from this book, I have prepared "Eggs Hussard" for family and friends with the same results and taste as that prepared by Chef Walker. I have also prepared several other recipies from this book with equal success. Chef Carl is truely a gifted chef and he fully shares his recipes, techniques, and tips in this great cookbook.
Rating:
Summary: Brennan's of Houston in Your Kitchen
Review: What a wonderful collection of delicious recipes. Chef Walker has shared his magical culinary secrets and has delivered them in a beautifully illustrated and well written book. "In Your Kitchen" tells us how to prepare some of Brennan's famous treats such as: Brandy Milk Punch, Turtle Soup and Bananas Foster. Carl Walker also shares his life experiences with his readers. After reading through the book, I feel that I know Chef Walker and his family personally. NOTE: The Texas Cornbread Pudding will become a must for your family gatherings.
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